1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to attachments to a belt worn by, for example, a policeman for purposes of supporting a gun holster and carrying apparatus for a nightstick and particularly such devices that provide both a swivel adjustment of the position of the attachment as well as a fixed angled position of the attachment and a device carried thereon.
2. Relevant Art
Attachment to a belt for carrying holsters used for guns and nightsticks are well known in the art. Many of the devices currently known are deficient in many respects. Some devices allow position movement only in spaced increments rather than a continuous arc that may be secured at any point. Other devices have a pivot point that may be tightened down to hold the device at selected angles of orientation. What is desired in the art is a device that allows for continuous positioning through a wide arc as well as a multi-point fixed position that is more secure than a single tightened pivot can be. The preferred device should include means to increase or decrease the pivotal resistance of the device as desired. Much of the prior art is deficient in these respects.
Furthermore, prior art devices are not ambidextrous. That is, they are specific to a right-hand or left-hand user. In addition, it is desired that the device be easy to add or remove from a belt and easy to adjust to fit a wide variety of belt widths. Moreover, a tension member should be included to reduce slippage or movement on thin duty belts and a locking capability to reduce the possibility of being bumped or snatched off a belt. The pivot tension is not adjustable because the pivot area is determined by the height of the two metal bushings that the screwheads bottom out on. Finally, the members of the clamp, particularly the cover, should be formed in a manner to inhibit twisting of the members, which could lead to inadvertent opening of the clamp when in use.
Relevant art includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,169 to Terzuola, et al., and a brief description (including drawings) of a device previously made and sold by the present applicant.